Tuning In

While I have been reading Katie’s story, Kisses from Katie, I have also been reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Although vastly different, the books are strangely complementary to each other. The latter one, more a theological look at what it means to pursue God, and the other, a tangible testimony of a young woman doing just that in Uganda.

One of Tozer’s points is that God wants to reveal Himself to us. He wants us to seek after Him and to walk with Him in intimate relationship. Although we may not always be manifestly aware of His presence, He is always there with us. As Christians, we must develop and cultivate our spiritual receptors and awareness. In other words, we must tune in to God. He writes, “Let any man [or woman] turn to God in earnest, let him begin to exercise himself unto godliness, let him seek to develop his powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience and humility, and the results will exceed anything he may have hoped in his leaner and weaker days” (41).

I think about Katie, and I see a young woman doing that, stepping out in trust and obedience, humbling serving the children in Uganda. I see her sincere desire to help and to leave the world she knew behind to choose God. I question her methods at times, just because I know my own pride and my own shortcomings and how easy it is for me to get off track. But what I find refreshing and reassuring is that we don’t have to be perfect. We don’t have to have all the right answers or do all the right things. We need to seek God and trust Him, stepping out, even imperfectly, with obedience and trusting that He will honor that. And even more, He will use it to teach us and to grow us. He’ll reveal Himself in fresh ways as we tune in to His voice, as we cultivate those gifts of receptivity, as we become more and more aware of His presence on a daily basis.

Katie suggests in the book that it is easier for her to do that in Uganda, in a place free from much of the materialism and distractions of the States. It’s easier for her to trust in God when He is the clear source of daily provision and protection, the One who so clearly holds life & death in His hands. Is God the same in Uganda as here? Absolutely. But there, free from some of the distractions and “white noise”, she can perhaps see Him and hear Him with more clarity.

I had a similar experience when I went to Nicaragua. Something about being in a different culture and stepping outside my own comfort zone, I was more aware of His presence. I was more “tuned in” to what He had to show me. I’ve also sensed Him here, as I visit El Camino, a bilingual church plant serving the Hispanic community, or even at my own church in Sunday school or during quality prayer time. God is always nearby. He is here. He craves that intimacy and fellowship. As we seek Him, we tune into His presence, we “come to know Him more intimately and with deeper understanding, that the barriers of thought and feeling between the two are disappearing, and that father and [child] are becoming more closely united in mind and heart” (38). To me, that’s a beautiful picture of walking with God and seeking Him.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve been caught up some “white noise,” feeling disconnected and even frustrated at times. I’ve been futilely going through the motions and yet craving that fresh revelation. Over the last couple of weeks, though, I have found myself earnestly seeking Him, stepping out in some small ways, but trusting Him anew. And each step I take, I become more and more aware of His presence. I find myself more and more drawn to Him in prayer and Bible study, more in tune with His heart and His will for my life. It’s a process. I love that Tozer points that out. This isn’t a once and done event, rather it is the journey of walking with God over time, of developing that trust and cultivating that intimacy, of learning from our mistakes and our missteps, of returning and renewing that faith, of stepping out once again in obedience.

I would love to hear your thoughts. How have you experienced God’s manifest presence? What is some of the “white noise” that keeps you from tuning in to Him? And what are some of your success stories, blocking out the noise to tune in and experience God in fresh and exciting ways?

Tozer, A.W. (reprinted 2009). The Pursuit of God. W_L_C. pp 36-41.